The first step in Cloud Notify is setting up a data source. This is done by selecting a communication protocol and defining the variables. This article shows you how to do this for communication via SMTP.

In short, it works as follows: your system sends an e-mail to the SMTP catcher inside the IXrouter, instead of to a public cloud SMTP server. The SMTP catcher will then pass on a part of this e-mail to the IXON Cloud. You can configure what you'd like to pass on.

For example, let's say you configured a variable to search for a text pattern (i.e. "Description:") and the original e-mail contains the following text:

Alarm triggered
Description: Valve C6 opened during operation. Machine has entered error state.
Code: 153

The SMTP catcher will search for the pattern "Description:" and return the text following this pattern until the end of that line. This means the following value will be passed onto the variable:

Valve C6 opened during operation. Machine has entered error state.

This value can be logged using Cloud Logging or sent to users via an e-mail or push notification on their phone using Cloud Notify. The IXON mobile app needs to be installed on the phone to receive push notifications.

• System settings
• Select a communication protocol
• Add variables (new, import)
• Test variables
• Manage variables (export, duplicate, remove)

System settings

Instead of sending the e-mail to a public cloud SMTP server, the system will have to send the e-mail to the IXrouter's SMTP catcher.

• Open your system's SMTP server settings and enter the IXrouter's LAN IP address as "SMTP server address".

Select a communication protocol

You first have to select a communication protocol over which you want to receive your data, which is the IXrouter's own SMTP catcher in this case.

• Go to [Devices] in the main menu, select the concerning device, open its [Services] tab, and press [Add service].

• Name the target "IXrouter", leave the IP address empty, and press [Next].

• Select your service type: [Data source].

• Select the communication protocol "SMTP / GPIO". Press [Add].

Add variables

Once you've added a Data Source and selected a communication protocol, you can start adding variables. This is done in the configurator tool, specifically designed to quickly add, duplicate, import, export, and remove variables.

• Go to [Devices] in the main menu, select the concerning device, open its [Services] tab, and edit the target's services.

• Select [Data source]and press [Open configurator].

• To add a variable press [Add variable].

You can choose to:

• Manually add new variables
• Import variables from a file (or device)

Manually add new variables

When you press [Add new variable] you'll see the window that is depicted below.

• Enter a name (i.e. "SMTP Catcher - High priority e-mails"), select the "SMTP" protocol and configure which data from the original e-mail you'd like to pass on with the settings type, length, action, and keywords, and press [Add]. The image below contains explanatory text for each setting.

Duplicate

You can easily duplicate this variable if you're adding variables that are only slightly different. This way you'll only have to make small adjustments.

• Press [Push changes]in the config tab to complete the setup.

Import variables from a file (or device)

You can easily and effortlessly copy variables from one device to another by exporting the concerning variables (view the "Manage variables" part of this article) and then importing them in your new device. Alternatively, you can manually prepare your variables in the required CSV format to load them all at once into your configurator. The CSV file structure is explained in our "Import variables: CSV file structure"-article.

When you press [Import from CSV-file], you'll see a browse window.

• Select a CSV file to import and press [Open].
• When the file has been read, press [Add] to add all variables to your data source.

• Finally, press [Push changes]in the config tab to complete the setup.

Test variables

The test utility is used to check if all the added variables are set correctly. It shows the status of every variable and displays the variables' latest values if everything is configured correctly. If not, it'll show an error message.

• In the configurator press [Run test].

A connection will now be set up to stream the data directly to your computer, using:

When the connection is set up and all variables are set correctly, it should look like this:

Manage variables

You can view all defined variables in a list view or table view . Multiple variables can be selected by pressing the icon on the left, or you can select all by pressing [∙∙∙]. These can then be removed , duplicated , or exported to a CSV file .